Jharkhand to submit drought report to Centre in August: Deepika Pandey

Ranchi: On the fourth day of the ongoing monsoon session in the Jharkhand Assembly, MLA Pradeep Yadav raised concerns about the severe drought situation in the state. He highlighted that only 10 percent of paddy has been planted and irrigation systems cover just 20 percent of the fields. Yadav emphasized the need to increase the percentage of irrigated land to lift farmers out of economic poverty.

In response, Agriculture Minister Deepika Pandey Singh announced that the Agriculture Department is preparing a contingency plan to address the drought. She assured that the department is actively monitoring the situation and a detailed drought report will be sent to the Centre by the last week of August. For the financial year 2024-25, the department has allocated Rs 50 crore for the cultivation of coarse grains.

During the session, BJP MLAs staged a protest, occupying the well for 35 minutes and raising slogans. The Speaker adjourned the proceedings until 2 pm. Water Resources Minister Champai Soren added that a Water Resources Commission will be formed to enhance irrigation facilities, and a roadmap for water supply to fields through pipelines is being developed.

MLA Shilpi Neha Tirkey brought up issues with the Abua Housing Scheme’s implementation. Rural Development Minister Irfan Ansari responded by promising the formation of a committee, including the DC and MLA, to address and rectify these flaws.